Show case



Patented June 1.7, 1930Y HENRYv G. MIcIIAELsoN, or RocKroRD, ILILINoIs SHOW "CASE Application led .'.I'uly 7,

This invention relates to a showcase especiallydesigned and adapted for the attractive displaying of fountain pens, pencils,-desk sets, etc., although, of course,- not particularly .5 limited to such use. Y

rlhe principal object of the 'present invention is to provide a showcase aifording the maximum degree of visibility for articles placed on display therein,iparticularly articles of the kind referred to, the 'case being so constructed that everything in it can be'seen easily when observed either from a distance or close up. l

Another important'o'bject of my Vinvention is to provide a showcase so designed as to utilize every available bitl of otherwise wasted space for storage purposes to accommodate such surplusstock as a merchant is apt to carry on hand. Incidentally, the construction is such that allparts of the inte-V rior ofthe case are easily accessible for the placing and removal of articles as well as for the occasional cleaning of the case and stock therein;

The invention is fully lowing specification in which reference is made tothe accompanying drawing, whereln- L if V' l Figurel is -a perspective view looking vat the front of'a showcase made in accordance with my invention, this lview servingvv ina measure to demonstrate the high degree of visibility aiforded;and t Fig. 2 is avcentral vertical transverse section. The same reference numerals are applied to correspondingvparts in the vtwo views.

'Showcases as heretofore constructedused inthe merchandising Vof fountainrpens or' other merchandise have ordinarily. included an upper tier of display trays, pads, etc.,l set,-

ting almost horizontally so that the merchandisecould be seen to advantage. only. atiwvery close range, that is tosay, only -when the customerstood directly in frontxof the'showcase., Furthermore, these .cases frequently vhad `a lower' compartment forthe display l of desksets, combination pen and pencil sets,

or other merchandise and it was only by stoopingthat the customer could see the same.

described in the folj 1 base, a wooden back frame 7 and segmental, substantially triangular, wooden side walls -on a 'sli Y having strips 16 fastened to the opposite side wallsf thereofV received Yinv 'guidew'ays inv the 192s. serial'No. 290,912.

These objections are'practically entirely Yobviated in accordance with the present invention by disposing the upperv tier of trays,

pads, or containers, hereinafter referred to as trays, at the rear of the case and at a more or less acute' angle to "the vertical, thereby exposing to view everything therebeneath which would otherwise beobscured so far as the customer standing directly in front of the case isconcernedand also rendering every' -Athing visible to one standing at a distance.

Moreover, by making a good part of the side walls of the case of glass thearticles in the Y upper tier of-trays, as well as those therebelow, are found to be' seen to very good advantage from the sides as well as the front `of the case. It .will presently appear how this arrangement also lends itself to the pro- Y vision of storageV drawers, the presenceof which is entirely unnoticeable fromthe customers side "of the case, and howall parts of the interior of the case are rendered extreme- 8, the triangular form of the latter being departedv from to the extent of increasing the slope of the upper portion of the front edges 9 of the side walls, as at 10. What `is lackscribed to complete a showcase of rectangular form is made up by plate glass side and ,front .walls 11 and 12, respectively, and top V 13. AnV upper tier of two rows of trays 14 for pens Vor other merchandise, is supported -ole 15 of hollow wooden construction form of groovesv (not shown) `provided -in the side walls 8.V I also contemplate using exltensionlslidesinstead of thestrips'l, simivlar to those used onfiling cabinet drawers. `The 'slide'1'5 may, if desired, be equipped#f with a door 17 in the back wallthereofhinged' at 18 andV having any suitable formof catch 19 in order to make the space inside the slide available for storage purposes. Ordinarily, however, this will :not be'found necessary in ing in thel wooden -structure thusfar de- Y .35 of a removable bolster 36.

view of the ample storage space provided for in the other places as hereinafter described. A handle 2O is provided on the slide 15 to be grasped by the clerk or merchant in pulling the slide out or in pushing the same back into place. rlhe slide moves freely back and forth over and in slightly spaced relation to a ledge 21 in the form ofa board extending horizontally crosswise of the case and fastened at its ends to the side walls 8. I prefer to` provide some suitable form of means for limiting at least the outward movement of the slide so that there will be no danger of the same being pulled out too far and the contents of the trays spilled. F or this pur- .pose I have illustrated at 22 a knob provided ou a rod 28 received in a hole drilled into the ledge 21 and having a latch 24 on the inner Yend thereof. The latch 24 can be turned by means of the knob 22 to project from the ledge 21, as shown, or, on the other hand, may be turned to an out-of-the-way position. Then projecting from the ledge the latch will engage a. stop 25 on the slide 15 to limit outward movement and another stop 26 to 'limit inward movement. To permit removal of the slide it is only necessary to turn the knob-22 until the latch 24 allows the stop 25 to pass the same. It will, of course, be evident that when the slide is in its normal position the back thereof lies iiush with the back frame 7 of the case and neatly closes the opening provided therefor in said frame.

It is customary for the merchant to handle combination pen and pencil sets. These may be placed on a shelf 27 supported, as by means of brackets 28, on a cross-piece 29 depending from the front of the ledge 21. The space beneath the ledge 21 and behind the cross-piece 29 I prefer to utilize as storage space and have, therefore, shown a drawer 80 equipped with a handle 31 which is slidably received beneath the ledge above the cross-rail 32. This drawer is found to be a handy place to keep trays or boxes of pens. V A lower tier of one row of display trays 34 for pens is supported on the inclined front The inclination of the trays 34 may be, and preferably is, at a greater angle to the vertical than the trays 14 to make the same visible more in side elevation than would otherwise be the Case. The top of the bolster 36 is used for the displaying of such larger articles as desk set-s.

These, by reason of the rearward disposition and the special inclination of the upper tier of trays 14, are rendered easily visible to the customer standing in front of the showcase,

especially if not placed too near the rear of the case. It is not necessary for the customer to stoop to see what is in the lower part of .the case; at the same time, everything is visible at an appreciable distance. A door 37 hinged, as at 38, affords ready access to the trays 34 and the top of the bolster 36 and when fully opened also affords access to a storage compartment 39 provided under the bolster. A cross-piece 40 under the bolster cuts down the size of the compartment just enough to avoid the likelihood of articles being thrust too far forward under the bolster where they might be hard to reach. Smaller desk sets or boxes containing pens or combination sets of pencils and pens may be placed in the compartment 89. A large drawer 41 equipped with a handle 42 is preferably provided in the base 5 and will accommodate the larger sized desk sets and any additional stock not accommodated in either the drawer 30 or compartment 39.

rlhe showcase, it will appear from the description, is one particularly well adapted to the requirements stated, and, moreover, displays the articles therein in such a way as to attract the attention of a passer-by. It is also believed to be evident that the cost of the construction has been kept to a minimum considering the various advantageous features that have been incorporated.

The appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering the present construction as well as any simulations thereof such as are bound to occur to those skilled in the art as a result of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A showcase adapted for display of small articles, like fountain pens, and larger articles, like desk sets, comprising a frame having bottom and back walls of suitable opaque material and side walls suitably of the same material of acute triangular form, a lower display platform in said case between the base portions of the side walls adapted to receive the larger articles for display, an upper display platform for` smaller articles disposed in said case between the top portions of the side walls and supported thereby above the lower platform over the rearward portion thereof, leaving enough space therebetween for the articles placed on the lower platform, there being a short front wall depending from the upper platform not far enough to interfere with a view of the articles on the lower platform from the front of the case, a storage drawer under said platform behind said wall and concealed thereby, a shelf mounted on and projecting forwardly from said wall not far enough to interfere with a view of the articles on the lower platform from in front of the case, glass top and front walls for said case and glass side walls for the' case of acute triangular form fitting in between the front and top walls and the aforesaid opaque side walls.

2. A showcase adapted for display of small articles, like fountain pens, and larger articles, like desk sets, comprising a frame having bottom and back walls of suitable opaque material and side walls suitably of the same material of acute triangular form, a lower display platform in said case between the base portions of the side walls adapted to receive the larger articles for display, an upper display platform for smaller articles disposed in said case between the top portions of the side walls and supported thereby above the lower platform over the rearward portion thereof, leaving enough space therebetween for the articles placed on the lower platform, glass top and front walls for said ease and glass side walls for the ease of acute triangular form litting in between the front and top walls and the aforesaid opaque side walls. In witness of the foregoing I affix my Vsignature.

HENRY Gr. MICHAELSON. 

